NFL analyst highlights Derrick Henry’s efficiency as Ravens RB “refuses to go down”

Derrick Henry has racked up rushing records at every stage of his football career. From high school to college to the NFL, Henry has trucked down defenders on his way to the end zone.

Ahead of his second season with the Baltimore Ravens, NFL executives, coaches and scouts have ranked Henry as the second-best running back in the league. Analyst Jeremy Fowler highlighted the Ravens' star's efficiency going into the 2025 season. Fowler wrote on ESPN:

"Mr. Laughs-at-First-Contact still refuses to go down."

The NFL analyst continued:

"Somehow, (Derrick) Henry is proving more efficient with age. Henry's 5.9 yards per rush in 2024 represented the highest mark by a player with 250 carries in a season since Adrian Peterson in 2012 (6.0 yards per rush). And his 13 career games with 150 rushing yards and two rushing TDs ties Hall of Famer Jim Brown for the most in NFL history."

Henry was on a tear in his first season with Lamar Jackson's Ravens. He finished second in carries and rushing yards (behind Saquon Barkley), and tied for first in rushing touchdowns (alongside Jahmyr Gibbs and James Cook).

Derrick Henry chasing his first Super Bowl in 2025

Derrick Henry has won almost every individual honor a running back could in the NFL. He has a first-team All-Pro nod, three second-team All-Pro selections, five Pro Bowl nods, two rushing yards titles, three rushing touchdown titles and the 2020 Offensive Player of the Year Award.

However, one thing that's glaringly missing from Henry's cabinet is the Vince Lombardi Trophy. It's the quest for a ring that brought him to the Baltimore Ravens, which is one of the most stacked teams in the ever-competitive AFC.

The Ravens have an array of Pro Bowlers led by two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and one-time Super Bowl-winning coach John Harbaugh.

The Ravens impressed in the regular season but were defeated by the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round, ending Henry's hopes of winning a ring in his first season away from the Tennessee Titans.

The 2025 season will bring renewed hope for Henry and his teammates. The Ravens will start their season with a game against the Buffalo Bills. The aim is to lay down a marker as early as Week 1 to show the rest of the league that they are serious about their goals.